The present invention concerns a light beam sight and stabilizer unit for use with archery bows and, more particularly, an improved range adjustable laser beam sight integrated into a stabilizer unit, providing a dual purpose device.
Archers have long used many types of sights to aim the arrows point of impact. Lasers have been extensively used as a sighting aid in archery. U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,344 B1 to Lach and U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,050 to Moore are good examples. Both patents teach bow sights incorporating lasers. The laser is oriented to emit a light beam in the direction of the arrows flight from the bow. In both patents the laser is positioned above the arrow rest and the inclination of the laser can be adjusted by a cam arrangement. A change in inclination of the laser beam when aligned with a target results in a corresponding change of the arrow""s trajectory thus compensating for target distance. The Lach and Moore patents are both attached to the bow is a similar manner and location. Both provide inclination adjustment in the plane of the bow but do not provide an adjustment for horizontal alignment of the light beam. Both the Lach and Moore patents provide for a fixed amount of vertical adjustment or xe2x80x9cspanxe2x80x9d to compensate for target distance but neither provides for a vertical span offset or xe2x80x9czeroxe2x80x9d adjustment.
The Moore and Lach patents require a flat surface for attachment to a bow and require the archer to hold the bow perpendicular to the horizon for proper operation. No provisions are made to allow the archer to hold the bow other that perpendicular to the horizon.
Laser sights for use in archery are very effective and useful devices under certain shooting conditions. During periods of intense ambient light however, a laser is of little or no benefit. Under these conditions it is desirable to have an alternate sighting system. There are many such suitable sight offering on the market today. Most of these sights are designed to attach to a bow in the industry standardized configuration. This is problematic to the Moore and Lach patents. The Moore and Lach patents both attach to the bow in a similar manner making it difficult or impossible to use a conventional sighting system synchronously with their respective laser sight designs. The Moore and Lach patents interfering with the installation of a conventional sight and the archer""s required line of sight in the use there of.
The ancient art of archery has evolved into a high tech sporting industry. Though the original fundamentals of an arrow in flight remain the same, the introduction of modem materials and designs have greatly improved the performance of the arrow and its flight. The invention of the compound bow design has greatly improved the archer""s ability to launch an arrow. These technological advancements have improved the sport of archery while creating new design challenges and desires of even greater performance.
The modem compound bow is a complex machine designed to put an arrow into flight. These machines (bows) take advantage of multiple pulley and lever arrangements, the latest materials and manufacturing techniques to produce a state of the art weapon. These modem bows are common and manufactured by many companies. While these products vary from make and model, the industry has adopted some standards. One of these standards is the mounting configuration of conventional peep sights for pointing the arrow""s flight to the desired target. Another standard is the inclusion of a means to attach a stabilizer to the bow to improve pointability, balance and absorb unwanted energy.
Today""s archer is provided a wide range of products to improve performance. There is a variety of pin, electronic, telescopic and laser sights to choose from. All of which have advantages over the other as well as inherent strengths and weaknesses. No one type proves to perform best under all conditions. Ideally a combination of sight options would provide the best solution to all around shooting conditions. Unfortunately there is limited space provided for there installation. Additionally, there are numerous choices in stabilizers offered. The various designs address the issues of unwanted energy absorption, balance and improved pointing ability of the bow.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a fully adjustable laser sighting aid and bow stabilizer combination for use in archery.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a user calibrated laser sight which may be calibrated for any arrow trajectory.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a rugged, self contained and waterproof laser sight.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a laser sight that may be quickly and easily adjusted for changes of target distance.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a laser sight that is turned on by a hermetically sealed magnet switch that is activated by an adjustable magnetic finger ring thus controlling illumination without applying unwanted force to the bow.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a laser sight that is adjustable for a user defined xe2x80x9czeroxe2x80x9d point of arrow impact.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a laser sight that is adjustable for vertical orientation with respect to the bow.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a laser sight that is complementary to and may be used synchronously with other bow mounted sighting systems.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a laser sight that may be quickly and easily installed on any bow designed for the incorporation of a standard stabilizer unit.
The objectives of the present invention can be accomplished by providing an environmentally sealed, self-contained, adjustable beam laser sight and stabilizer combination. The laser sighting device of present invention is comprised of a cylindrical compartment housing a power source, a laser module coupled to the power source and having a laser diode for emitting laser beams, a cam operated laser module elevating mechanism and an inner cylindrical body. The cylinder has a front face and a laser light exit formed substantially at the center of the face and aligned with the laser diode. An outer cylinder is rotated axially about the inner body and acting on the laser positioning cam. The cam converts rotary motion into a linear position change acting on the face of the laser module producing an angular displacement about its pivoting axis resulting in a change of vertical divergence of the laser beam with respect to the bow. A user calibrated, waterproof, and self-adhesive range scale is installed on the moving outer cylinder adjacent to a stationary base. Another label of same construction is installed on the stationary base adjacent to the moving label providing a means of range calibration. The laser sight further incorporates an external adjuster module connected co-axially to the cylinder rear face by a pivoting screw. The adjusting module face contains an annular of set screws axially aligned with the cylinder circumference. Alternate screw force applied at the rear cylinder face changes the horizontal and vertical angle of laser beam departure from the bow providing a means for true zero point adjustment. The adjuster module also attaches the laser/stabilizer to the bow stabilizer bushing and provides vertical tracking alignment of the laser beam with respect to the bow. Additionally the laser is activated by a hermetically sealed, magnetically controlled switch and adjustable finger ring magnet combination.